Internal-combustion engine



E. L. BEECHER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

' APPLICATION HLED JULY 9, 19I9.

1,405,093, Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

3 SHEET$SHEET I.

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awvevwoz E. L. BEECHER.

F INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1919.

1,405,093, I v Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2. (\i

E. L. BEECHER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1919.

1,405,093, Patented Jan. 31,1922.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE L. IBEECHER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

INTEBNAL-COMEUSTION ENGINE.

. following is a specification.

This invention is applicable to internal combustion engines of the four-cycle type in which the cylinders are horizontally 0pposed. There may be any number of cylinders in this engine, but the present embodiment shows the invention applied to an eight cylinder engine.

The object ofthe present invention is to obtain synchronized valve timing of the opposed cylinders whose firing order is so.

arranged that thepower impulses are delivered to the crank shaft at widely separated opposed points, without offsetting the cylinders and using a cam shaft containing only as many cams as there are cylinders, one cam functioning two opposed cylinders.

' One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the drawings, wherein- Figure 1, is a top plan view of the motor with the invention applied- Fig. 2, is a CIOSS 'SOtlOI1 through two cylinders in the same plane, and the crank case. Fig. 3, is an enlarged view of the valve actuating rockers on one side. Fig. 4, is a cross section in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6, are views of the rockers on the opposite side of the engine from those illustrated in Fig. 3. Figs. 7, -11 and 12, are different views of the fulcrum bearing supportof the rockers. Fig. 8, is an enlarged view of the cam shaft. Figs. 9 and 10, are similar views to Figs. 5 and 6, but of the rockers on the opposite side of the motor.

The motor herein described is equipped with a one plane four throw crank shaft 1, which is of usual design, having four crank pins 2, each of which carries a main connecting rod 3, and an auxiliary connecting rod 4, which are disposed in opposite directions to each other, eachof which has secured at its free end a piston 5, working in cylinders 5 in the customarymanner.

The crank shaft has at one end a gear 6, which meshes with a gear 7. This gear 7, is on one end of cam shaft 8, having oppositely disposed cams 9. The ratio between the crank shaft gear and cam shaft gear Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d Jam 31, 1922. Application filed July 9, 1919.

Serial No. 309,585.

is one to two, the cam shaft turning half as fast as the crank shaft. There is only one cam shaft 8, and it carries but eight cams, 1n the present disclosure, it being designed to carry only as many cams as thereare cylinders. Accordingly, one cam functions twice in a single revolution. The cams 9 are shown as arranged in two groups, two cams in each group, as seen clearly in F lgure 8, the outside cams in each group operatlng to open the exhaust valves and the lnslde cams 9 operating to open the intake valves. As shown in Fig. 2, a cam 9, co-acts wlth two plungers 10 and 11, which are in the same diametrical plane, but on opposite sldes. These plungers are secured to push rods 12 and 13, respectively, which cooperate at their outer ends with rockers 14 and 15, respectively. The plungers have bearings 33 fast to the crank case 34, and the push rods extend through an opening in said crank case. The rockers of Figs. 3, 9 and 10, are those which in the present adaptatlon are on the right hand side of the motor and the rockers of Figs. 5 and 6, are those on the left hand side of the motor.

It will be noted that the rockers 15 are of the usual type having two outwardly extendlng arms which are in the same plane, upon one of which the push rod acts, the other arm acting upon the valve. The rockers on the. right hand side, however, are of a different construction, as will be best seen from Fig. 3, being off-set from each other.

In other words, rockers 14 operate together, 14"; op

this, we will assume that the firing order of the cylinders of the left hand row is 12 43. In order that the power stroke of a cylinder of the right hand row may be simultaneously. delivered at the widest possible opposed point, the firing order of its cylinders must be 3421. Accordingly, the intake cam which controls the intake valves of cylinder No. 1, of the left hand row would It permits a other.

also function to control those of cylinder No. 2, of the right hand row.

To enable these rocker arms to function in the above manner the followingMpeculiar construction has been devised:

Each set of cooperating rockers has its own bearing surface, each bearing surface being of the same diameter, and each set of rockers are concentrically arranged, as shown in Fig. 4, so that they may function independent of each In other words, rockers 14 have bearing surfaces A, rockers 149 have bearing surfaces B, rockers l4 have bearing surfaces C and rockers 14 have bearing surfaces D. These rockers 14 fulcrum in supports and are held in position by the closing cap 22,

' the support and cap-being bored and slotted to accommodate and permit the movement of thesebearing surfaces. The widely separated rocker arms let have the smallest reduced portion or hub 16 connecting them, and constitutes a central hub around which the other rockers are arranged. The diameters of the hubs of the other rockers are en- 'larged step by step, hub 17 connecting rockers 14 surrounding the central hub 16 only about two-thirds of its circumference, so that the rockers may operate independent of each other and without friction. Hub 18 connects rockers 14, and hub 19 connects rockers 14r and both are concentric with hubs 16 and 17, and like hub 17 extend but two-thirds of their circumference, so that they may operate independently of each other. The arrangement of these will be entirely apparent from Fig. 4, of the drawings. The rockers 15 being of the usual type of rocker, do not need the concentric arrangement of the rockers 14, being simply fulcrumed in support 21 which is closed by cap 23, this support and cap also being bored and slotted to accommodate and permit movement of these rockers. All rockers are secured to the cylinder heads in such manner as to bring the ends of the rockers not engaged by the push rods in alignment with the associated pair of valves.

The free ends of these rockers 14 and 15, cooperate with bridge tappets 24 and 25,

@ which bridge the stems of two valves 28,

in the same vertical plane, as best shown in Fig. 2. A single valve spring 26, of which there is one for each two valves, is held between the cylinder head and a spring retainer 29. This valve spring serves to return the valves to their normal positions, and as they return to the normal posit-ions the rockers 14 or 15, return the push rod 12 or 13, carrying plungers 10 or 11, respectively as the case may be. The bridge tappets are held from turning by the pin 31, adapted to fit in slot 32 in the stem of the bridge tap pet, this slot being long enough however to allow of the endwise movement of the bridge tappets and to permit the proper movement The pin 31 is carried by a member 31 ex tending between and attached to the stem by pins 31", see Figure 2 at the left, to limit the movement of the valve stem.

\ Hence the firing order of the cylinders of the left hand row being 1243, as in the conventional type of four cylinder motor, and the firing order of the cylinders of the right hand row being 3421, and. the rockers of the right hand row being constructedias heretofore described, I am enabled to construct a motor in which the cylinders are diametrically opposed, and not off-set. Consequently a motor so constructed is considerably cheaper to manufacture and occupies less space in the vehicle in which it is carried.

Also any other arrangement of the firing order can be had to accomplish the same result as, for example, if the left hand cylinders fire 13'42, the right hand cylinders would fire 3124c.

There is the additional advantage of this arrangement when using a three bearing four throw crank shaft in that only one power stroke is delivered between the bearings whereas with other arrangements there are two.

I claim:

1. In a four-cycle diametrically opposed cylinder internal combustion en ine having a four-throw one plane cranks aft with a gear on said shaft, two inlet and two exhaust valves for each cylinder, a bridging tappet cooperating with each set of valves,

a spring-retainer and a single spring between said retainer and cylinder controlling two valves, ,a synchronized valve timing mechanism consisting of a single cam shaft having a gear meshing with said crank shaft gear to turn the cam shaft at one half the speed of the crank shaft, said cam shaft having mounted thereon a series of cams equal in number to the number of cylinders, each, cam having cooperating therewith two diametrically opposed plungers which are fast on: push rods, push rods engaging at their free ends with rockers, the rockers of one row of cylinders being straight and of the opposite row of cylinders being off-set in varying degrees to enable a single cam to control the valves of one cylinder of each row so that the power stroke of the opposed cylinders may be delivered at widely sepa synchronized valve timing mechanism consisting of a single cam shaft having a gear meshing with said crank shaft gear and having mounted thereon a series of cams equal in number to the number of cylinders, each cam having cooperating therewith diametrically opposed plungers which; are fast on push rods, push rods engaging at their op-. posite ends with rockers, the rockers of one row of cylinders being straight and of the opposite row of cylinders being off-set to enable a single cam to control the valves of cylinders of opposite rows in a single revolution of the cam shaft.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the diametrically opposed cylinder type, a fourthrow one plane crank shaft with a gear on said shaft, means cooperating with said gear, a cam shaft, cams thereon equal in number to the number of cylinders in the engine, two inlet and exhaust valves for each cylinder, tappets cooperating with each .cam, and a synchronized valve timing mechanism having a single cam, shaft connected with said crank shaft, .and mechanism to control the action of the valves of two cylinders in a single revolution. I I

4:. In an internal combustion engine of the diametrically opposed cylinder type, a four-' throw one plane crank shaft with a ear on .i

crank shaft, and mechanism to control the action of the Valves oftwo cylinders in a single revolution, said mechanism being actuated by said cams.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EUGENE L; BEECHER. 

